A fully-appointed minivan disguised as a plain MPV

Hyundai Custin Premium 1.5 T-GDi

- By ERIC TIPAN

At first glance, the Custin Premium appears to be just another ordinary MPV with five doors.

Its boxy body lacks shapely lines, and even the fonts at the rear, spelling out the make and model, seem to have been borrowed from the 90s. The only obvious 21st-century feature to me is the wide grille with gem-like bits shared with other modern Hyundai models featuring a distinct LED daytime running lamp arrangement. Designers also incorporated a few chrome accents — the one at the bottom of the hood bears the model name but is too slim to be noticeable — and equipped it with multifaceted reflector LED headlamps, LED position lamps, and LED rear combination lamps. Other exterior features include a front and rear underbody garnish, a rear spoiler, and a fin-type antenna. Even if it wears stylish 18s and has a power tailgate, on the outside, it certainly does not appear deserving of its Premium trim level, but wait until you see what's inside.

Let's start with another contemporary feature I like, the smart key. It allows the user to unlock the vehicle by pressing the button on both front doors, and simply pulling any of the second-row door handles triggers its automatic slide-open function.